Double Stripe
by leoluvr6628
Summary: First Ralph, then Felix and Calhoun, and now Rancis has fallen prey to the double stripe branch. Maybe Vanellope should hold a seminar. Vanilla Butter. Twoshot.
1. Chapter 1

Rancis puttered along following the wheel tracks left in the frosting mud. He rounded a bend and saw a familiar hodgepodge kart sitting on the edge of a taffy pool. The green liquid was studded with floating gumdrops and there was a pink candy cane tree growing in the middle. He parked his kart next to the other one and climbed out, running his fingers over the maker's mark as he passed.

Stopping at the edge of the goopy pool and peering nervously at the bobbing gumdrops, the only way to the tree, Rancis decided not to risk it. "Vanellope?" he called nervously, "are you here?"

There was a _whoosh_ and Rancis' favorite President appeared on the lowest branch of the tree. "Rancis?" she asked. "What're you doing here?"

"I saw you driving away earlier," he replied. "I wanted to make sure you were – you know – okay, I guess." He scuffed his shoe against the ground and flicked his single curl out of his face.

Vanellope blushed. "I'm fine. Just…wanted to get away for a while…"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I'll just go…"

"No, wait!" Vanellope called just as he was climbing back into his kart. "It's not you, Rancis, it's all those other guys." She waved her hand dismissively in the direction of the main area of the game. "I hated them being mean to me, but they're all being super nice now. It's like they're trying to kiss up or something."

Neither racer said anything for a moment. "Do you want to come up?" Vanellope asked when the silence became uncomfortable.

Rancis looked uncertainly at the gumdrops again. "Umm…"

"Oh, don't be such a scaredy cat, Mr. Priss," Vanellope teased. "Look, just jump on the orange gumdrop right in front of you, then the green one, the pink one, the yellow one, and then onto this branch," she stomped on the branch she was standing on. "Simple as that!"

"Ooookay…" Rancis did as he was told and hopped to the orange gumdrop, then the green one, the pink one, and so on until he was making a leap of faith toward Vanellope's branch. His jump was just the tiniest bit shorter than he needed it to be and he ended up dangling from the branch by one hand.

"Help me!" Rancis gasped, his feet windmilling in the air above the taffy.

Vanellope leaned casually against the trunk of the tree. "What's the magic word?"

"NELLIE, PLEASE!" he cried. He reached his free hand up to her, truly terrified of plummeting into the murky green depths below him.

Startled by her friend's horrified expression, Vanellope took his hand and pulled him up onto the branch. Rancis wrapped his arms and legs around the branch. "I wouldn't have let you fall," Vanellope said quietly. She offered her hand once more and Rancis accepted it to get to his feet.

They stood side by side on the branch. "Race you to the top?" Vanellope offered with a grin.

Although he was still terrified of imminent death by taffy, Rancis knew it would make Vanellope happy if he said yes, so he smiled and nodded.

"Yes!" Vanellope jumped in the air and twirled. She crouched down and touched the branch with one hand. "Ready?" she asked.

Rancis mimicked her pose. He may have been an excellent kart racer, but he wasn't much for foot racing. Either way, he replied, "Ready."

"Set," Vanellope continued. She looked up the tree towards the top. "Go!"

She took off like a rocket, leaving Rancis in her dust. He scrambled after her, struggling to keep up. He leapt from branch to branch, not really looking, just sort of hoping that there would be one where he needed it. He paused once to catch his breath, knowing that he was already beat, but the branch disappeared from under him.

Rancis screamed as he fell, his hands flailing above him. He was pretty much resigned to the fact that he was going to drown in the taffy pool, but people always screamed in movies.

"Rancis!" Vanellope cried. She dropped down at top speed and caught Rancis. She was dangling from a branch by one hand and clutching Rancis' in the other. She swung him to a nearby branch and then got over herself.

"What just _happened_?" Rancis panted. "That branch disappeared!"

"Double stripe," Vanellope explained. She was on her knees next to him, winded from her race up the tree and her sprint down to save him. "Double stripe breaks."

"Oh." Rancis straightened his hat and plopped down next to Vanellope.

Vanellope sat up and leaned against the trunk of the tree. "Why were you so scared?" she asked, pushing her bangs out of her face. "You would have just regenerated in your kart like you always do."

Rancis shrugged. "You feel like your drowning before you regenerate though. It's still terrifying."

Vanellope pulled her knees up to her chest. "Does it hurt when you crash your kart during a game?"

Rancis' eyes widened. "You've never crashed?"

"Nope. Whenever I get close to the edge I just glitch back to the center of the track."

"Yeah, it hurts," Rancis said. "And then you just flicker back into your kart and the pain is gone. You just keep driving."

They were both silent as Vanellope seemed to ponder this. Rancis cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "Maybe we should head back. It's about time for the Roster Race."

Vanellope nodded and stood up. "Let's get going." She turned and smirked at him over her shoulder. "Watch out for double stripes on the way down." With that, she was leaping off the branch and plummeting down.

Rancis cried out in alarm and bent over to watch her descent. Vanellope landed gracefully on one of the gumdrops below and hopped to solid ground. She dashed to her kart, brushing her and Ralph's signatures as she passed just as Rancis had. Once seated she gunned the engine and looked back up at where Rancis was watching her, awe struck.

"Are you coming or not?" the President called up to him.

Rancis shook himself out of his stupor and carefully made his way down the tree. He moved cautiously from one gumdrop to the next and still tumbled onto his face when he hit the shore. When he stood Vanellope couldn't be sure if the pink on his face was a blush or if it was from the pink frosting he'd face planted in. She giggled either way.

"Pink is not you color, Fluggerbutter," Vanellope commented as he got in his kart.

"Shut it, Princess," Rancis shot back with a grin.

"Ooooh, we're bringin' out the P word are we?" Vanellope sneered evilly. "If that's how it's gonna be, fine then. Let's race to the track. Loser has to treat the winner to Tapper's tomorrow night."

Rancis beamed. Finally, something he could win at. He revved his engine, "You're on."

And they were off, leaving a cloud of sugar that would have clogged Calhoun's radar for a month.


	2. Chapter 2

Vanellope zoomed onto the Sugar Rush track, the world whizzing past her. She could already here the NPC crowds cheering in the stands. Most of the karts were already lined up at the starting line, but there were two empty spaces right in the front row. Just as she was approaching she turned hard and spun into position. A second later, Rancis's kart was parked next to her. The boy's blonde hair was ruffled and his hat was askew.

"Looks like I'm treating you to Tapper's tomorrow night," Rancis said with a smile.

"Oh, you bet," Vanellope smirked. She hopped out of her kart and took off towards where the other racers were waiting for them. "Don't forget your wallet! I'm feelin' extra thirsty!"

President Von Schweets scrambled up the ramp. She beamed when she saw Ralph waiting for her by the microphone. He'd been coming to the Roster Race almost every night. She made a dash towards her oversized friend but was cut off.

"Vanellope! Oh my gosh, we were so worried when you just, like disappeared," Taffyta drawled at her. "I was totally going to come looking for you, but Rancis beat me to it."

"Thanks, Taffyta, it's the thought that counts," Vanellope said. She tried to make her way around Taffyta, but had no such luck.

"Hey, maybe tomorrow we could go over to Mario Kart together. Princess Peach is having a slumber party and everyone's going," Taffyta offered, grabbing Vanellope's arm.

Vanellope jerked her arm away and said, "I'd love to, but I've already got plans for tomorrow. See you later Taffyta!" She ran away as fast as she could.

"President Pusface!" Ralph greeted Vanellope when she finally got there.

"What's up, Captain Crudbreath?" Vanellope grinned. She leapt at her friend and he caught her, pulling her into a hug.

"You've got plans tomorrow?" Ralph asked.

Vanellope nodded excitedly. "I beat Rancis in a race. He has to take me out to Tapper's."

Ralph's eyes widened. "You're going on a date?"

"What?!" Vanellope cried, just as shocked by this as the wrecker was. "No way, it's just Rancis. It was just a bet and he lost." She shoved away from Ralph and dropped back to the ground.

"I dunno, Vanellope," Ralph shrugged. "You two have been spending a lot of time together."

"So what?" Vanellope snapped. "We're friends."

"Alright, President Fartfeathers, whatever you say," Ralph muttered. "Go get this race started."

Vanellope marched up to the microphone. She cleared her throat and tapped on it. The crowds quieted and the racers lined up. Taffyta smiled sweetly at Rancis as he took his place next to her. He waved politely but then turned his eyes up to Vanellope. They grinned at each other.

Vanellope took a deep breath. "Let's get this race started!" she said into the microphone, pumping her fist above her head. She flipped her gold coin into the pot and the jumbotron announced her name. She sauntered to her kart as the names of the other racers were called out.

"You ready to lose, Fluggerbutter?" Vanellope smirked when Rancis climbed into his kart next to her.

"In your dreams, Princess."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Vanellope crossed the finish line first to the cheers of the crowd. And Ralph. Always Ralph's voice above everyone else's.

"VANELLOPE! VANELLOPE! VANELLOPE!" the fans cheered.

"GO, PRINCESS PEABRAIN!" Ralph roared.

Vanellope leapt out of her kart and waved proudly. A rainbow kart whizzed past her. Snowanna had come in second.

A brown cart spun in and stopped right next to Vanellope, bringing the smell of peanutbutter with it.

"Man! Not even second today!" Vanellope commented as she pushed her goggles up. "You're losing your game, Rancis."

Rancis rolled his eyes and jumped out to stand next to her. "It was only cause when you glitched in front of me I had to slam on the breaks so I wouldn't hit you."

"What a gentleman," Vanellope scoffed. She elbowed Rancis in the ribs. "Thanks though." She grinned at him.

"Don't mention it," he smiled back.

Vanellope's eyes flickered away and saw Ralph waving her over. "I've got to go," she said.

Rancis watched as she started to walk away. He glanced down at her mismatched tights and suddenly had an idea. He dropped and swung his leg out in front of him, kicking her left leg out from under her.

Vanellope cried out in alarm, but then Rancis had her by the hand and she wasn't falling anymore.

"Careful, there, Nellie," Rancis grinned. "Double stripe breaks."

"What're you-" Vanellope started, but then he nodded towards her legs. She saw what he meant. The left leg of her tights, the one he'd kicked out from under her, was double striped. "Smooth," she smiled at him. "And clever."

Rancis opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by someone clearing their throat above them.

Vanellope, still suspended above the ground only by Rancis' hand, tilted her head back as Rancis looked up. "Oh, hey, Ralph," she said.

Ralph glowered down at the pint sized racers.

Rancis blinked nervously and pulled Vanellope to her feet. He released her hand and took a few steps away.

Offering one giant hand to Vanellope, Ralph said, "Let's get going. Felix invited us to dinner."

Vanellope stepped up into Ralph's palm and he lifted her to sit on his shoulder. "See you later Rancis," she said bashfully. "And don't forget, we're going to Tapper's tomorrow. Your treat."

"Yeah, Nellie, my treat," Rancis smiled.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Ralph and Vanellope started their journey to Game Central Station in silence. Once they were seated on the train, however, Ralph had to speak up.

"So," he began, leaning back in his seat. "You're sure you and Rancis are just friends, Nellie?"

Vanellope blushed like mad. "Shut up, Stinkbrain."


End file.
